


I'm such a fool for you

by Theblacksheep24



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-15 17:38:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19300543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theblacksheep24/pseuds/Theblacksheep24
Summary: A non-superpowers AU, where Maria and Carol meet at a university in the 1990s. This will be fluffy as hell, and my main inspiration is a mixtape centered around the music of the Cranberries.





	I'm such a fool for you

Carol groaned as her alarm blared for the third time that morning, she knew she could afford at least one more snooze button hit, but if Carol slept anymore she would be rushing to her morning class, and she didn't want to do that. But Carols desire to stroll to class instead of sprinting was not academically influenced, no, Carol had a different motivation. That motivation was a physics student named Maria Rambeau. 

It was Carol's second year at the Pegasus Institute. It was a small university nestled in a small desert town in California. It was here where promising scientist, engineers, and free thinkers came to study. The science departments were some of the best in the nation, but a few years back, the Institute expanded its areas of study so it could be advertised to more students, and receive more grant money. So this meant some of the best scientific minds in the nation, and now a humanities department, and a not half bad sports program, well at least for the size of the school. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday for six weeks, Carol has tried and failed to garner the attention of Maria. From what Carol observed, Maria was far more academically motivated than Carol. Maria had transferred in this year from a school in Louisiana and was already one of the most talked about students in her department. Maria tended to be at least five minutes early to class, and would always stay after animatedly speaking to the professor of the course. It was because of these reasons Carol has not found herself being about to "bump" into Maria and start a conversation. But as Carol pushed herself off her disheveled bed, she had hope that today might be different. 

Carol looks at herself in the mirror. She had her favorite jeans on, a pair of light wash levis with well-worn holes in the knees. She had one of her favorite band t-shirts on under a thick blue flannel. It was mid-October, and you could feel chill of the morning in the breeze. Carol checked the mirror one last time, her hair tended to have a mind of its own, but so far it was cooperating, satisfied with her appearance she left her dorm with her backpack slung over one shoulder. 

Carol pulled out her Walkman from her backpack and put the headphones on as she walked across campus. She tried not to look for the familiar face, but she caught herself subconsciously searching.

She made it to Shield Hall, which held the astrology, physicals, and engineering departments and conducted the related classes. Carol opened the big heavy doors and turned to her left to head to the second floor. When she made it to the top, she could see students filing into the several classrooms that lined the hall. Her class, astronomy 201, was held in the last classroom to the left, Maria’s class was held in the room directly across the hall. Carol moved her way past the bodies and backpacked crowds of her peers. She broke through a rather boisterous group that must have been comprised of half of the soccer team outside of Biology 101, and she caught a glimpse of a laughing Maria. Maria was walking with a classmate of hers, a smaller framed young looking man. Carol had seen the two together before, she thinks she might know him from her English Literature class, but she can't be sure, Carol tends not to pay much attention to men.

Carol subconsciously picks up her pace, but before her feet can get her into something her mouth isn't prepared for, aka a conversation with her crush, Professor Fury calls her name.

“Danvers! Surely it will not take you the three remaining minutes we have until class starts to finish walking the hallway.” 

Professor Fury was the first teacher Carol ever had that didn't automatically write her off. Carol had later learned that Nick Fury had requested he be assigned as Carol's academic advisor and it was not randomly assigned like it is in most cases with other students. Carol and Fury bonded her first year there, she was basically an orphan she had no family to travel home to see on holiday, and Nick seems just as unattached, so they tended to stick together. This involved occasionally seeing a movie or two or getting a meal at the dinner just off campus. It was never discussed between the two of them, but Carol knew even if Nick would never admit it, he enjoyed her company and looked forward to their encounters. To top it all off, Carol was the best of his students. However, being top in the department did not mean she wasn't a pain in his ass during class lectures. There are two things Carol does not have a shortage of, wit and raw intelligence. But Carol tended to use these two abilities to outsmart classmates, mainly hotshot men who thought they were far more needed then they actually were, and or flirting shamelessly with the TA when she got the chance, causing poor Britney to flush and forget her place in front of the class. 

The later has happened far less frequently now though, as Carol can't seem to get Maria Rambeau off her mind. 

"I can find a way to waste all three remaining minutes Fury, I never back down from a challenge." Carol mocked a salute towards her now exasperated professor.

"For the love of god just get your ass in my class please." He shook his head and turned to walk back into the lecture hall, but Carol could tell, by his posture, he was not irritated with her, at least not yet. There is a fine line with Nick Fury, his emotions were sometimes hard to tell, especially in a professional environment, but Carol could read him. Once a man tells you about his strange phobia of diagonally cut toast…you tend to learn a few things about his character.

 

Nick was finishing the end of his lecture, informing the class of a quiz that would happen on Tuesday and what it would be over. Carol was zoning in and out. She was pulled from her daydreaming by the sound of backpacks rustling and her peers talking as they left the lecture hall. She put her notebook in her bag and started walking towards the front of the classroom.

"Danvers, can you do me a favor?" Nick asked as he was finished erasing the chalkboard he had written the lecture diagrams on.

“Sure thing, my afternoon is free today anyway. What do you need?” Carol answered when she had finished walking down the steps and was standing near Nicks desk. 

“Professor Coulson of the Engineering department and I have been thinking about putting together a team to start developing an aerospace program. He asked if I had anyone who might be willing to work with his top student, Maria Rambeau, on starting this program. I suggested that you would be the right choice. Would you be interested? "

Carols eyes widened, and her mouth probably opened and closed several times before actual words came out. "Honestly, that sounds really awesome. I would love to work on this project with you. And uh you said a Maria Rambeau? Hmmm not sure I've met her before, but I'm sure she's brilliant if Coulson picked her." Carol is a horrible liar, all she hoped was that Nick couldn't see the flush that was creeping up her neck. And or if he did notice, that he took pity on her and didn't bring it up.

Nick squinted his eyes momentarily but then smiled. He put a hand on Carol’s shoulder and squeezed before he started walking out of the room. He through his response over his shoulder. “Great, I’ll let Coulson know you’re on board. In the meantime, you should try to meet up and get to know Ms. Rambeau, you two are going to be spending a lot of time together, you might as well be friends.” 

Carol thinks she just saw Nick Fury wink as he finished that last sentence. Her feet are rooted to the floor. What has she gotten herself into?

 

 

She checked her watch for the fourth time, she was supposed to meet Maria at the dinner down the street from campus at half past seven. She was fifteen minutes early in spite of her attempts to not arrive too soon. But her excitement, nerves, and quick walking pace all worked against her, and she wondered if she should just go in and wait inside, or would that be weird?  
Before she could continue to second guess herself, she heard a voice she knew to be Marias.

"Either you have the same punctuality habits as me, or you are just starving." Maria laughed and extended her hand. "Hi, Carol? Nice to meet you. I'm Maria. Professor Fury speaks very highly of you."

Carol smiled genuinely and shook the outstretched hand. "Um, let's go with a little bit of both. I tend always to be a little hungry." Maria laughed, and Carol's smile spread, causing her eye to ripple by the sides. "Nice to meet you, Maria, and I could say the same about you."

Maria's hand was warm in Carols. Maria's hand was a tiny bit smaller than Carols, and Carol could feel the slightly callouses that form when someone works with their hands all day. When their handshake ended, Carol found herself missing the contact.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Carol opened the door and motioned for Maria to enter.

Maria smiled again, this time a little shyly. "Thank you, I am a little embarrassed to admit this is my first time here. And before you gasp I know its reputation of being amazing, I just find myself caught up a lot with work, so I tend to eat at unconventional hours."

"I understand that, if my stomach weren't such a bottomless pit, I would be the same way. But Nick, sorry Professor Fury took me here a week into my freshman year, and I've been hooked ever since."

As if on cue, a waitress approached the pair. “Hey Carol, your usual booth?” 

 

"You've got to try the pie," Carol said, pushing a smaller menu that had "world's best pie" typed in bold font across the top of it.

“Pie?! Before anything else?” Maria asked, surprised but couldn’t help but find Carol’s excitement charming. 

"Okay, hear me out. If you were to wait till after you eat your dinner, you could be full and or not want any dessert, and that would be in itself a crime in a place like this. So I suggest we eat the best part first to ensure you get the best experience."

Maria was watching Carol talk and had already decided to go along with whatever Carol was suggesting. The woman across from her, Maria can’t put her finger on it just yet, but she felt calmed and energized all at the same time when Carol was talking to her. 

“Okay, I have to admit you make a good point there, and if the pie is half as good as you claim it to be…”

"Oh, it is, you won't regret it," Carol said excitedly and put her hands over Maria's hand which were resting on the table. Carol then looked down at her hands and removed them from Maria's as a blush formed on her cheeks.

 

Carol looked at the clock on the wall and saw it was five minutes past closing. She then turned and saw all the empty booths and tables. The pair of them had sat and talked for hours, and it had felt like minutes.

"Hey" Carol put her hand on Marias to pause her funny anecdote about her mother for a second. "Looks like we've overstayed our welcome, but if you're not too tired, do you want to walk around campus for a bit?"

“I’d like that.” Maria smiled softly. 

Carol squeezed Maria’s hand before they got up and grabbed their coats. Carol put a new five dollar bill down on the table and waved goodnight to the waitstaff before opening the door for Maria. 

“Such a gentlewoman Carol.” Maria winked. 

Carol tucked a stray hair behind her ear and matched her strides with Maria. 

“You’ve heard all about my momma, my dad, and even my crazy cousin Whitney, but I know little to know about you. Well, other than the fact that you’re a great listener, too clever for your own good, and have great taste in desserts. So, Carol, tell me something about yourself.” 

Carol looked down at her beat up converse, this question always threw her off. What does she say? What does she not say? The real questions, she guesses was, what did she want to say? 

Carol brought her eyes up off her feet and found Maria watching her, waiting for her to answer if she wanted to.

"I was close to my mom and my brother Stevie. My mom and my dad separated when I was very young, and I never saw my dad, well, that was until the accident. My mom and my brother were my best friends, and I lost them on the same day. They got into a car accident when I was 10. After that, I had to live with my dad. My dad… well let's just say the day I left for this place was hopefully the last time I'll ever see him." Carol stopped walking and looked up at the sky. As if by cue, one of the first constellations her brother had shown her was shining bright in the sky above her and Maria. 

Carol turned to Maria. “My brother’s love for the stars and the solar system that encompassed them all is what inspired that love I have for them today. Here look up, there." Carol pointed up at the sky, and Maria's eyes followed.

"That is one of the first constellations he ever showed me." Maria saw Carol smile for the first time since she started opening up. Maria grabbed Carol's had by impulse, but when Carol interlaced their fingers today, she knew it was the right one.

"Why don't I walk you back to your dorm? I'm sure you have an 8 am lecture tomorrow as I do. One of the science departments biggest perks." Carol's voice was layer with sarcasm.

Maria laughed. "I hate the morning classes, but with a coffee or two, I can make do."

Carol turned to look at Maria. Seeing Maria’s face in the soft light of the stars showed Carol a side of her, a beauty, she hadn’t seen in anything, well anything on earth. 

“I wouldn’t normally have a problem waking up, I just tend to stay up late listening to music.” 

Maria raised her eyebrow. "Big music buff, huh?"

“Oh Rambeau, we need to save music talk for next time, if you get me started now I’m not sure when I’ll stop.” 

"I'll hold you to that Danvers." Maria had led them right outside her dorm hall. "This is me, I'll see you around." Maria felt herself rocking on her heels. She had butterflies in her stomach the whole dinner, she's hoping the read the signals right, Carol was still holding her hand. But even with new political uprisings and counter culture swings, being gay wasn't something she could openly broadcast.

Carol looked at Maria’s deep brown eyes. Wondering if maybe she was thinking the same thing, or feeling the same way. Half of Carol’s brain was screaming at her to kiss Maria, but the other half was timid. 

While Carol was weighing the pros and cons in her head, a light breeze blew past them, and a strand hair blew into her face. Maria gentle brushed the hair behind her ear and leaned halfway to Carol, Carol stood on the tips of her toes and met kissed Maria.

The kiss was soft and innocent and last only a few seconds, but when both of them pulled apart, they had matching smiles.

"Alright, I'll let you get some sleep," Carol said to Maria and Carol let her grip on Maria's hands go.

Carol started walking backward, not wanting to stop looking at Maria. Maria laughed at her.

"Get on back dork, and don't stay up too late!" Maria said, shaking her head.

Carol mock saluted Maria, "Yes, Ma'am."


End file.
